Q&A with Patricia and Emily MacLachlan
Q: What made you decide to try writing as a team?
Patricia: Actually, I was trying to write a picture book about an island, but nothing was working. I showed it to Emily who immediately began telling me what she thought. She is one terrific editor. I turned to her and said, "well, why don't we work on this together?" So we did. It is a true mixture of the two of us.
Emily: We never planned to write a book together. It just happened.
Q: What is it like to work with your mother/daughter on a book?
Patricia: I love working with my daughter. Actually, she's an amazing person who continues to surprise me. Neither one of us is boss, really, even though I've been writing longer. Not long ago, Emily turned to me when we were writing a book together and asked: "Are you really committed to that sentence?" I loved that.
Emily: I feel very lucky to be able to work with my mother and have the opportunity to learn from her. Most of the time we have fun when writing.
Q: Are there particular artists that have inspired you both? Have either of you had aspirations to paint?
Patricia and Emily: We admire many artists-too many to list. And we are inspired by all of them.
Patricia: There are many of us who are writers and really wish we could paint. Most of us can't, and we have to "paint" with words.
Emily: The process of any art is self expression. When I work with little children I get to be an artist every day.
Q: What were your favorite picture books growing up?
Patricia: I have always loved books, and read some of my favorites over and over again. I remember reading Ferdinand over and over. And my Father and I acted out Peter Rabbit time after time, sometimes changing the story.
Emily: Some of my favorite picture books growing up were Mr. Rabbit and The Lovely Present, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Higglety Pigglety Pop, Bread and Jam For Francis and all Beatrix Potter books.
Q: Will you be writing more books together?
Patricia and Emily: Yes, we are writing several books together. We have Before You Came, about a mother and a baby, and Fiona Loves the Night, about a young girl who loves the night in addition to Painting the Wind and Bittle. We are now thinking about writing a novel together, but our editors don't know this.
To learn more, visit: http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/mtai/maclachlan.html
or
http://www.patriciamaclachlanbooks.com
Added 2005
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